Here, we take a look back at their relationship – from meeting when Aaliyah was just 12 to their secret marriage to those baby rumours.

Their union ended in 1995 and just six years later, Aaliyah tragically died on August 25 2001 in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22.

Meeting

They met when Aaliyah was just 12-years-old – Kelly was 24. She was the niece of his manager, Barry Hankerson, who introduced the pair, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.

Hankerson was a big deal on the music scene, having managed the likes of Gladys Knight and Toni Braxton, and Aaliyah was quickly drawn into Kelly’s world and a romance began.

Aaliyah during Aaliyah at The Forum at The Forum in Inglewood, California, United States. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)

Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number

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Kelly was a huge influence on Aaliyah’s early career as they spent more time together and, coincidentally, Aaliyah’s debut solo album Age Ain’t Nothing but A Number was written and produced by Kelly, recorded at the Chicago Recording Company in Illinois in 1993.

Aaliyah’s album was released on was released on May 24th 1994 and went on to make hit singles out of the title track and Back & Forth.

Work and play

Things between the pair of them seemed to be running smoothly, with Aaliyah giving an interview in 1994 saying: ‘[Kelly] is great is to work with, because really, it’s not like work because we’re really close.

‘So it’s just like fun really.’

Secret marriage

When Aaliyah was just 15 years old, she is alleged to have married Kelly, who was aged 27, on August 31 1994 in Chicago.A marriage certificate reported to be from their big day shows Aaliyah as citing her age as 18 at the time of their marriage.

20 years ago, Vibe prints marriage certificate of Aaliyah & R. Kelly, states she is 18 yrs old. She was 15. He was 28 pic.twitter.com/AbIBbknfIS

While they tried to keep their marriage a secret to begin with, Aaliyah’s family found out about their union and, according to reports, were ‘outraged’ and demanded an annulment, which Aaliyah agreed to in October that year. Aaliyah and R Kelly are believed to have then parted way in 1995.

In an interview with GQ magazine in 2016, Kelly was asked about his reported marriage to Aaliyah, but he declined to comment. He said: ‘Because of Aaliyah’s passing, as I’ve always said, out of respect for her mother who’s sick and her father who’s passed, I will never have that conversation with anyone.

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‘But I can tell you I loved her, I can tell you she loved me, we was very close. We were, you know, best best best best friends.’

Silence speaks a thousand words

Aaliyah reportedly tried to have their marriage records expunged in 1997, around the same time Kelly was in court with Tiffany Hawkins, a 20-year-old woman who was suing the rapper for $10million (£7.7m) for allegedly having sex with her when she was 15 and he was 24. The case was settled with a $250,000 settlement the following year, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

When Aaliyah was asked about her marriage at the time by the publication, she reportedly said: ‘I don’t really comment on that because I know that’s not true. When people ask me, I tell them, `Hey, don’t believe all that mess. We’re close and people took it the wrong way.’

A spokesperson for Aaliyah also said at the time: ‘When R. Kelly comes up, she doesn’t even speak his name, and nobody’s allowed to ask about it at all.’

Was Aaliyah pregnant?

Sensational claims that Aaliyah fell pregnant with R Kelly’s child when she was just 15 emerged in a 2011 book called The Man Behind The Man: Looking From The Inside Out, by Demetrius Smith Sr, a former member of Kelly’s team.

Aaliyah performing in 1997 (Picture: Chris Walter/WireImage)

One excerpt from the book read: ‘”I think she’s pregnant” he said, in a voice that sounded as if he wanted to burst out in tears. “Oh man, Rob” was all I could say at the time. Derrel McDavid arranged for a car to pick Aaliyah up at O’Hare airport and she had a hotel room available on arrival. This was crazy! How were we going to get through this without causing ill feelings with Barry Hankerson.’

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Incidentally, on Mother’s Day last year Timbaland apparently shared a Mother’s Day tribute to Aaliyah on Instagram, which has since been deleted by lead many fans to question if he knew something that wasn’t widely known.

Aaliyah’s influence on R Kelly

Kelly has always denied any inappropriate behaviour and told biographer William Sutherland how Aaliyah was ‘one of the best young artists’ he had ever worked with.

And in a GQ interview in 2012, he said of the late artist: ‘I heard first of all this soft voice, but very… a lot of charisma.

Aaliyah in 2000 (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

‘And I saw her as a star the minute I heard her sing and dance. Saw her dance. She wasn’t the greatest dancer, but the dance moves she was doing were different than the other dancers that I’ve seen on television.

‘And I said, “This girl’s gonna be a star, whether I work with her or not”.’